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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23421238">The Wrong Foot</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/maegonstorm/pseuds/maegonstorm'>maegonstorm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mortal Path (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Flower Shop &amp; Tattoo Parlor, Fluff, M/M, Misunderstandings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:33:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,113</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23421238</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/maegonstorm/pseuds/maegonstorm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The gang all work at a tattoo parlour and Taro has an awkward meet-cute with Findex at the flower shop across the street.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Findex/Taro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Wrong Foot</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I was just thinking about how I wish there were more fics for TMP, especially fluffy romantic ones... but then I remembered I hecking wrote one in 2018! I dug this nonsense out of my long-forgotten WIP folder and it made me smile, so I hope it makes someone else smile too!</p><p>I can't promise anything, but I want to try finishing it eventually.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“How is it my fault she can’t take a joke?” Taro called across the empty tattoo parlour clattering as he briskly tidied his station.</p><p>“All I’m saying, dear,” Nerium replied hesitantly from her seat at the reception desk, “is that an apology…” Taro glared at her from across the room, but she continued, “wouldn’t be out of place in this situation.”</p><p>“Me, apologize to her?!? I’m the one who’s been wronged!” Taro huffed, chucking used bandages and bits of trash in the bin.</p><p>“Pfft!” Nerium hopped down from her chair and went and poked Taro’s leg sharply.</p><p>“Ow! What was that for? Now I’ll get a giant bruise!” </p><p>“What do you care, you’re already purple” Nerium smirked.</p><p>Taro glared, “Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it won’t hurt, same thing with what Nat did, it really wounded me deep down on the inside, I’m all wounded and stuff.” </p><p>“I can’t take you seriously when you use that tone, and anyway, be a dear and go get Nat some nice flowers and maybe a card while you’re at it.”</p><p>“I don’t think Nat’s the type to want flowers, Ner, she’s more the leave her alone ‘til she comes around or she’ll punch you in the face type.”</p><p>“Nonsense! You remember when we went to that awards gala, she wore a dress and that pretty elven woman gave her that rose. Ah!” Nerium sighed, “she blushed and stammered just like the rest of us.”</p><p>“Ah, well you see the problem, don’t you?” Taro leaned back against his station crossing his arms, “I’m not trying to get her in bed.”</p><p>“Don’t be silly! Flowers are for all kinds of occasions! Including apologies, now get out of here,” Nerium dragged him to the door with surprising strength, “and don’t come back without flowers for Nat, and penitent attitude!” </p><p>Nerium shoved him out the door, and it closed slowly behind him with a cheery jingle. She clicked the lock behind him and disappeared back into the shop. Taro sighed and turned away from the door muttering to himself and mockingly mimicking Nerium’s speech. He looked around and spotted a flower shop right across the street and a few doors down.</p><p>“Huh,” Taro said to himself, “how long has that been there? Well it’s convenient anyhow.”</p><p>He strolled right out across the street, dodged two cars and in a heartbeat was pushing the flower shop door open. </p><p>The wall of humidity and fragrance that greeted him was overwhelming and his nose started to run almost instantly. </p><p>“Damn these allergies!” he muttered, “Get in get out, breathe later.”</p><p>Taro quickly scanned the room and spotted something red through misty vision, and made a bee-line for it. Unfortunately, he didn’t notice the something big and yellow that was suddenly in his path.</p><p>“Ooof!” He found himself splayed on the floor with the big yellow figure looming over him. He squinted at the figure which turned out to be a very muscular and very concerned-looking lizardman, who extended a hand towards him. Taro ignored the hand and scrabbled to his feet brushing himself off and doing his best to appear nonchalant.</p><p>“Oh my gosh, are you OK?” the lizardman was asking, in a voice more timid and nasal than Taro would have expected from his build.</p><p>“No worries, my man,” Taro clapped him on the shoulder, “Alright?”</p><p>“Alright?” the guy raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“Alright.” Taro decided.</p><p>They stood there for a beat.</p><p>“Was there… is there… anything I can help you with?” He asked.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Did you want any flowers, or…?” he trailed off.</p><p>Taro regarded him for a moment, then he noticed the apron and nametag the guy was wearing.</p><p>“Who, no, me, what, no, um I was just, over there,” he gestured, “I guess, I don’t know. Where can I find some apology flowers?”</p><p>“You need to apologize?” </p><p>“No! …well, I mean,” Taro said, running his hand across the back of this head and trying not to make eye-contact, “mayyyyybe.”</p><p>“So… some maybe apology flowers?” he asked.</p><p>“Well, I still think it’s her what owes me an apology, not the other way around, but I gotta live with her, you know what I mean, uh” He squinted at the nametag, “Windex.”</p><p>“Um, it’s Findex, with a Ffff,” Findex replied.</p><p>“Is it, though?” Taro replied quickly, “You ever think about, what if it was Windex?”</p><p>“No, not really; Findex is my name, I don’t really want it to be Windex.”</p><p>They stood in silence for a moment, Taro sniffled.</p><p>“So, did you still want those flowers, or?” Findex asked</p><p>“Ah, right, yes! Good.”</p><p>He stood there and kind of just peered past Findex’s shoulder towards the red ones he’d spotted earlier. He glanced up at Findex’s face and thought he saw him giving him an odd look. Huh.</p><p>“Right, well, if you’ll excuse me,” Taro made to squeeze past Findex, but he practically leapt out of the way, knocking over a small cactus in a pot which survived the fall, but started rolling in a slow arc towards Taro.</p><p>“Oop!” Taro stooped to snatch the cactus pot off the floor, only to tangle his fingers with those of a large, gentle, scaly hand.</p><p>“Aaaa,” Findex said, withdrawing his hand quickly, leaving Taro to fumble with the cactus before replacing it decisively back on the shelf, “I’m so sorry! With the, and you, I… I…”</p><p>Findex turned and with surprising speed grabbed a handful of red flowers, wrapped them in cellophane and handed the bunch to Taro.</p><p>“Ummm, here,” he said holding the flowers out at arm’s length, “On the house, for your apology, a classic choice, I’m sure she’ll love them.”</p><p>Taro snuffled loudly, wiped his nose on his sleeve, took the bundle, and with a “Cheers, mate!” promptly exited the shop.</p><p>“Well that was an awkward experience, if I’ve ever had one,” Taro muttered to himself.</p><p>Once across the street, Taro knocked at the door and called, “Nerium! Neeeerium! You didn’t let me get my keys!”</p><p>She took her sweet time coming to unlock the door, but then she emerged from the shadows and reached up to unlock the glass door with a Clonk. </p><p>“About time,” Taro pushed the door open with a jingle, “I made a new friend.”</p><p>Nerium wasn’t listening, though, she’d clocked the flowers.</p><p>“Roses?” she asked, “That’s an odd choice for a platonic apology.”</p><p>“Well they’re red, aren’t they?” Taro replied, “that’s kind of her aesthetic, I guess.”</p><p>“I guess,” Nerium agreed, unconvinced.</p><p>“Right, well, if you’ll excuse me,” he skirted around her and grabbed his messenger bag off its hook, “I’ll be heading out. Gotta give my roomie her flowers.”</p><p>“Good night!”</p><p>“Night!”</p>
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